THE WORLD OF BRETTANOMYCES
By Peter Perrecone WHAT IS BRETTANOMYCES? • Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family
Saccharomycetaceae, and is often called "Brett". The genus name
Dekkera is used interchangeably with Brettanomyces, as it describes the
spore forming form of the yeasts.. Brettanomyces is important to both the
brewing and wine industries due to the sensory compounds it produces.
• In the wild, Brettanomyces lives on the skins of fruit. The strain
Brettanomyces claussenii was discovered at the Carlsberg brewery in 1904 by
N. Hjelte Claussen, who was investigating it as a cause of spoilage in English
ales. The term Brettanomyces comes from the Greek word "British fungus."
SENSORY COMPOUNDS
The compounds responsible for contributing certain sensory characters to wine/beer are;
4-ethylphenol: Band-aids, barnyard, horse stable, antiseptic
4-ethylguaiacol: Bacon, spice, cloves, smoky
isovaleric acid: Sweaty saddle, cheese, rancidity
BRETTANOMYCES AND BEER
In most beer styles Brettanomyces is viewed as a contaminant and the characteristics it imparts are considered unwelcome "off-flavours." However, in some styles, particularly certain traditional Belgian ales, it is appreciated and encouraged. Lambic and gueuze owe their unique flavour profiles to
Brettanomyces, as do wild yeast saison or farmhouse styles; and it is also found in Oud Bruin and Flanders red ale. COMMERCIAL EXAMPLES
Commercial examples of these styles include Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus,
Liefmans Brown Ale, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and Duchesse de Bourgogne. The
Orval Trappist monastery is unique in crafting the only Trappist beer with
Brettanomyces characteristics. In Orval's case, the brewers add the yeast to the beer at bottling.
3 FONTEINEN OUDE GEUZE
LAMBIC
Lambic is a type of beer brewed traditionally in the Pajottenland region of Belgium
(southwest of Brussels) and in Brussels itself at the Cantillon Brewery and museum. Lambic is now mainly consumed after refermentation, resulting in derived beers such as Gueuze or Kriek lambic.
LAMBIC
Unlike conventional ales and lagers, which are fermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts, lambic beer is produced by spontaneous fermentation: it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the
Senne valley, in which Brussels lies. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavor: dry, vinous, and cidery, usually with a sour aftertaste.
GEUZE
A true Geuze - a blend of 1, 2, and 3 year-old lambic,is unfiltered and unpasteurized, and aged in the bottle for at least a year after blending.
Refermentation in the bottle gives this Geuze its famous champagne-like spritziness. The lambic that goes into it is brewed only with 60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat, aged hops, and water, spontaneously fermented by wild yeasts, and matured in oak casks.
ORVAL
Orval
The flagship brett beer, so to speak. It is a 6.9% abv beer. It was first made in 1931, and has a complex and unusual flavor and aroma produced by a unique strain of yeast. The beer is light in color, slightly cloudy, and has a large, foamy head. There is a complex aroma of leather, spice, and many other earthy components.
BRETTANOMYCES IN AMERICA
Several American craft breweries use Brettanomyces in their beers. This use began with a renewed interest in Belgian style ales and later formed new styles altogether (Brewers Association, 2007 Great American Beer Festival
Style Guidelines, section 13a, 16).
BRETTANOMYCES IN AMERICA CONT. • Some breweries use 100% Brettanomyces for the fermentation of some of their
beers, and omit Saccharomyces from the recipe. It is common for American
brewers that use Brettanomyces to also include lactic acid producing bacteria
such as Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus in order to provide sourness to the beer.
• While Brett is sometimes pitched into the fermenter, aging in wood barrels
previously infected with Brettanomyces is another method used to impart the
complexity and sourness contributed by these strains of yeast.
MATILDA Wild in character, with a slightly fruity aroma and a spicy yeast flavor that is as unique as it is satisfying – Matilda is an intriguing choice for beer and wine lovers alike. Dry and quenching, its the perfect accompaniment at the dining table or for casual socializing at the bar.
Recipe Information:
Style: Belgian Style Pale Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
International Bitterness Units: 26
Color: Golden Sunrise
Hops: Super Styrian, Styrian Golding, Saaz
Malts: 2-Row, Caramel, Candy Sugar STRAINS
Common Name Species Name Synonym (Strain) Name Lab/Package Flavor/Aroma Source Note
strong ester profile with some light funk and beer - Adelaide, Anomala Dekkera anomala B. intermedius ECY-04 acidity Australia
bottled stout - Burton Anomalus Dekkera anomala B. anomalus Wyeast on Trent, England
Bruxellensis Dekkera bruxellensis B. bruxellensis BSI Pro-Brewers only. Not the same as WY's Bruxellensis Dekkera bruxellensis B. bruxellensis WLP650 Same as White Labs Brux Not the same as WL's Bruxellensis Dekkera bruxellensis B. bruxellensis Wyeast 5112 Barnyard Brux isolated from Belgian Bruxellensis Dekkera bruxellensis B. bruxellensis ECY-05 sweaty horse blanket stout quite funky with barnyard notes accompanied by some Claussenii Dekkera anomala B. claussenii BSI fruit Pro-Brewers only.
Claussenii Dekkera anomala B. claussenii WLP645 Same as White Labs
Chad Yakobson's CMY1 Dekkera bruxellensis B. bruxellensis CMY1 BSI Fruity, pineapple mutation of BSI Drie
Synony CommSpeci m Lab/PFlavor Sourc on es (Strain) ackag /Aro e Name Name Name e ma Note
strong ester profile with some light beer - Dekke funk Adelai ra B. and de, anom interme ECY- acidit Austr Anola ala dius 04 y alia bottle d stout - Burto Dekke n on ra B. Trent, Anom anom anomalu Wyeas Engla alus ala s t nd Dekke Pro- ra B. Brewe Bruxelbruxel bruxelle rs lensis lensis nsis BSI only. Not the Dekke Same same ra B. as as Bruxelbruxel bruxelle WLP6 White WY's lensis lensis nsis 50 Labs Brux Not the Dekke same ra B. as Bruxelbruxel bruxelle WyeasBarny WL's lensis lensis nsis t 5112 ard Brux isolat sweat ed Dekke y from ra B. horse Belgia Bruxelbruxel bruxelle ECY- blanken lensis lensis nsis 05 t stout quite funky with barny ard notes acco Dekke mpani Pro- ra B. ed by Brewe Claus anom clausse some rs senii ala nii BSI fruit only. Dekke Same ra B. as Claus anom clausse WLP6 White senii ala nii 45 Labs Chad Yakob son's Dekke B. mutati ra bruxelle Fruity, on of bruxel nsis pinea BSI CMY1 lensis CMY1 BSI pple Drie Bantu beer Dekke light brewe Custe ra B. fruit ry, rsianu custercustersi ECY- and South s siana anus 19 hay Africa Isolat e from Drie Fontei nen; Dekke Pro- ra highly Brewe bruxel aroma rs Drie lensis B. drei BSI tic only. Isolat e from Fanto B. Fanto me ? fantome ECY me Dekke Same Pro- ra B. as Brewe Lambi bruxel lambicu White rs cus lensis s BSI Labs only. Differ Horse ent Dekke y, from ra B. Smok WY's Lambi bruxel lambicu WLP6 y, "lambi cus lensis s 53 Spicy cus" Differ ent Dekke from ra B. Pie- WL's Lambi bruxel lambicu Wyeascherr "lambi cus lensis s t 5526 y cus" straw berry, honey , ripe fruit with a tart, citrus y acidit Isolat Dekke y ed ra after from Naard naard B. 6 mo Dr. enensienensinaarden ECY- of Peppe s s ensis 30 aging r bottle d beer - spicy, Kalma Eeniel saison r, la ECY- -like Swed Nanus nana B. nanus 24 profile en Isolat e Dekke Mang from ra o, Drie bruxel WLP6 Pinea Fontei Trois lensis B. trois 44 pple nen STRAINS
Species Name Synonym (Strain) Name Lab/Package Flavor/Aroma Source Note
Bantu beer brewery, South Dekkera custersiana B. custersianus ECY-19 light fruit and hay Africa
Isolate from Drie Fonteinen; Dekkera bruxellensis B. drei BSI highly aromatic Pro-Brewers only.
? B. fantome ECY Isolate from Fantome
Dekkera bruxellensis B. lambicus BSI Same as White Labs Pro-Brewers only. Different from WY's Dekkera bruxellensis B. lambicus WLP653 Horsey, Smoky, Spicy "lambicus" Different from WL's Dekkera bruxellensis B. lambicus Wyeast 5526 Pie-cherry "lambicus"
strawberry, honey, ripe fruit with a tart, citrusy acidity Dekkera naardenensis B. naardenensis ECY-30 after 6 mo of aging Isolated from Dr. Pepper bottled beer - Kalmar, Eeniella nana B. nanus ECY-24 spicy, saison-like profile Sweden
Dekkera bruxellensis B. trois WLP644 Mango, Pineapple Isolate from Drie Fonteinen LOGSDON SEIZOEN BRETTA LOGSDON SEIZOEN BRETTA: 8% ABV
This organic farmhouse ale is brewed in small batches on a traditional farm brewery as it has historically been made for hundreds of years. This unfiltered bottle of seizoen, with its beeswax seal, is naturally re-fermented and carbonated with select yeast strains producing fruity and spicy flavors that are balanced by hops and a soft malt character. Special Brettanomyces yeast provides added dryness and crisp complexity.
100% FERMENTED BRETTANOMYCES BEERS
• The breweries using brett are very few. Crooked Stave in Colorado is
doing it well with sour, funky and clean beers. Another brewery is
Modern Times in San Diego with a 100% brett IPA and its clean not
funky at all. The last example is Anchorage Brewing Co. All their beer
is fermented in oak foudres. These beers are more of what you think
of brett beer.
MY 100% BELGIAN PALE 10 GAL
• 90% Pilsner malt • 1 oz Pacific Jade, Citra and Amarillo 0 min
• 5% 6 Row • O.G. 1.061
• 5% Rye • F.G. 1.006
• .25 oz Pacific Jade 60 min • ABV 7.2%
• 1 oz Pacific Jade, Citra and Amarillo 10 min • I.B.U. 31
THE KEY TO THE STYLE
The key to brewing this style beer is to keep the bitterness low because brett dries out the beer and accentuates the hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is another factor for this style. Since the brett dries or attenuates the beer so much the beer can taste thin and watery. Glycerol gives a perceived mouthfeel, to get glycerol in the beer I like to use whole oats (any type )a t least 5% and as much as 20%. PITCHING RATES
• For clean brett beers, lager
pitching rates. 2 vials plus 2 week
starter
• For funky beers and classic brett
beers under pitching works better
for me ( 1 vial and no starter) LINKS http://www.brettanomycesproject.com/ http://embracethefunk.com/ http://www.funkfactorygeuzeria.com/2013/06/brett-strain-guide.html http://www.themadfermentationist.com/